Travel Your Bus
Your Bus was a trading name of Smiths Coaches (Shenington) Ltd who were also known as Smiths of Tysoe. The company was based on the Arden Forest Industrial Estate in Alcester in Warwickshire. History The Your Bus network of bus services started on 30th November 1987 when route 50Y was introduced. This ran every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes in competition with the West Midlands Travel's route 50 between Druids Heath and Birmingham City Centre via Alcester Road using second-hand Daimler Fleetline double deck buses purchased from Greater Manchester Buses. The company adopted the orange brown and white livery these vehicles arrived in as their fleet colours for the bus operation and uniquely added a Y to the end of all its bus service numbers. To get buses to and from the West Midlands and Alcester the company introduced placing journeys initially just at peak times, which ran directly way via the A435. On 3rd September 1988 the company introduced service 53Y from Maypole via Manningford Road, Brandwood Road and WMT's route 35 to Birmingham City Centre also running every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes. At the same time a peak hour route numbered 51Y of 3 journeys each way was introduced that diverted via Redditch when it ran between Alcester and Birmingham. This service was withdrawn on 13th January 1992. The company also introduced route 47Y on 31st October 1988 which was also a way of getting buses to and from the West Midland that ran via Redditch, it however accessed Birmingham via West Heath and the Pershore Road. This service was renumbered 45Y on 28th October 1989 and was withdrawn on 13th January 1992. Your Bus continued to develop services in south Birmingham and Solihull over the next few years, including the South Birmingham Circular route A6Y/C6Y, and invested heavily in new single deck vehicles. 'West Midlands Travel Takeover' During 1993 Your Bus was taken over by West Midlands Travel who continued to run it as a separate subsidiary (registered as Smiths of Shenington), adopting the branding 'Travel Your Bus' in September 1996. The operating centre was soon moved to Miller Street in the Newtown area of Birmingham where the coaching interests of West Midlands Travel under the Central Coachways trading name were absorbed. In 1994 WMT briefly operated Your Bus services in Burton-upon-Trent. This was in response to the incumbent operator, Stevensons, increasingly operating services within the West Midlands during the preceding years. In 1995 West Midlands Travel was taken over itself by National Express Group. 'Rebranded Travel West Midlands' On 4th February 2001, following a group restructuring the Travel Your Bus services were absorbed into the main company's West Midlands bus operation which by this time was trading as Travel West Midlands (and now trades as National Express West Midlands). This ended the Your Bus operation. The Central Coachways name and some contract work was sold to Flights Coaches. Routes Operated By Your Bus (Smiths) * 2Y Birmingham - Maypole via Warstock (1992/1993) * 6Y Birmingham - Solihull via Shirley (1988/1989) * A6Y Birmingham - Northfield - Solihull - Birmingham Circular (1989-1993) * C6Y Birmingham - Solihull - Northfield - Birmingham Circular (1989-1993) * 7Y Birmingham - Witton (1993) * 37Y Birmingham - Solihull via Acocks Green (1992/1993) * 45Y Birmingham - Cofton Common - (Alcester peak time only) via Cotteridge (1989-1992) * 47Y Birmingham - Cofton Common - (Alcester peak time only) via Cotteridge (1988/1989) * 50Y Birmingham - Druids Heath - (Alcester peak time only) via Kings Heath and Maypole (1987-1993) * 51Y Birmingham - Alcester via Maypole and Redditch (peak time only) (1988-1992) * 53Y Birmingham - Maypole via Brandwood Road (1988-1993) * 57Y Birmingham - Solihull via Sheldon (1992/1993) * 182 Solihull - Dorridge (c1990-1991, evenings & Sundays, sponsored by Centro) Operated By Your Bus/Travel Your Bus (West Midlands Travel/National Express) * S1 Sutton Coldfield Falcon Lodge Circler (Anti-Clockwise) (1997/1998) * S2 Sutton Coldfield Falcon Lodge Circler (Counter-Clockwise) (1997/1998) * 2Y Birmingham - Maypole via Warstock (1993-2000) * 6Y Airport/Solihull - Northfield via Kings Heath (1998-2001) * A6Y Birmingham - Northfield - Solihull - Birmingham Circular (1993-1998) * C6Y Birmingham - Solihull - Northfield - Birmingham Circular (1993-1998) * 35Y Birmingham - Hawkesley via Doversley Road (2000/2001) * 37Y Birmingham - Solihull via Acocks Green (1993-1996) * 38Y Birmingham - Birmingham Airport via Acocks Green (1998/1999) * 39Y Birmingham - Northfield via Solihull (1998/1999) * 50Y Birmingham - Druids Heath via Kings Heath and Maypole (1993-2000) * 53Y Birmingham - Cotteridge via Brandwood Road and Pool Farm (1993-2000) * 54Y Birmingham Circular via Doversley Road, Pool Farm & Bournville (1996-2000) * 56Y Birmingham - Solihull via Sheldon & Olton (1996-1998) * 57Y Birmingam - Solihull via Sheldon (1993-1995) * 58Y Birmingham - Airport via Sheldon (1998-2000) * 81Y Langley Green - Shard End via City Hospital and Birmingham City Centre (1997-2000) * 92Y City Hospital - Shard End via Birmingham City Centre (1999/2000) * 97Y Birmingham - Chelsmsley Wood via Meadway (1998-2001) * 99 Birmingham - Chelmsley Wood North via Heartlands Hospital (1997-2000, evenings & Sundays, sponsored by Centro) * 118Y Erdington - Aldridge via Kingstanding (1998-2000 sponsored by Centro) * 192Y Birmingham/Acocks Green - Coventry via Solihull (c1995-1999, sponsored by Centro) * 193Y Birmingham - Coventry via Solihull (c1995-1999, sponsored by Centro) * 194Y Birmingham/Acocks Green - Coventry via Solihull (c1995-1999, sponsored by Centro) In 1999 & 2000 Smiths of Shenington (NX) also ran two services branded 'The Link' these were numbered as follows:- * L1 Birmingham - Walmley via Tyburn Road * L2 Sutton Coldfield - Erdington via Walmley External links *National Express West Midlands website *Worcestershire Bus Hub (reference) Photos *Your Bus service 50Y *Your Bus (WMT) service 2Y *Travel Your Bus service 53Y Category:Former bus operators in England Category:Transport in Birmingham, England